Crappie won’t bite

[phishead]

Did a little fishing on lake today. Couldn’t catch one if my life dependent on it. Watch a school of crappie demolish bait. Saw hundreds of strikers for about 4 hours all within 20 yards of my boat. No more then a second or two without a strikes. Usually multiples strikes a time. But no matter what I threw, no bites. I mean I threw everything I had. Multiple soft minnows, different crappie jigs, spinner jigs, rooster tails, curly tail grubs. I mean everything. And nothing. These crappies were almost hitting my boat. I usually never leave this lake with a couple off crappies. I think this group was so zoned on hunting their bait, nothing else mattered to them. Got a bunch of large mouth. But crappies, forget it.

[saltybass]

Try throwing some finesse bass lures, if you're in open water and not deadsticking in reeds/grass. Small crankbaits like Bandit 100s/200s, 1/4 oz spinnerbaits, 1/4 & 1/2 oz rattle traps, and small jerkbaits. This would work up north when they started acting weird and usually got bigger ones.

[SkyJay]

need the shad😉

[phishead]

Apr 26, 2020 21:31:11 GMT -5 saltybass said:

Try throwing some finesse bass lures, if you're in open water and not deadsticking in reeds/grass. Small crankbaits like Bandit 100s/200s, 1/4 oz spinnerbaits, 1/4 & 1/2 oz rattle traps, and small jerkbaits. This would work up north when they started acting weird and usually got bigger ones.

Tried small crankbait, spinner baits and various roadrunner spinners. Did not have small rattles. After a few hours it was amusing trying everything I had. I’m a sucker for buying lure ever time I’m a bass pro. So I have more then I would need in two life times. Heck I even have tiny plastic baby frogs. Why, I don’t know.

[phishead]

Apr 26, 2020 22:08:05 GMT -5 SkyJay said:

need the shad😉

Tried plastic shads. Small. Those common prerigged ones. Nothing. Ya. I think unless I had live shad, there was nothing these crappies were willing to look at.

[phishead]

I’m no crappie expert, but I must say, more often then not, when I see them chasing prey, I have not luck. When it’s all “quiet” on the surface, it’s game on. This lake is only 9’ at most.

[SkyJay]

used to night fish Lake Agnes on I-4
years ago.
We would take Minners with us but never
really did much good on them.
After 30-45 minutes after we hung our lantern
out over the water the shad would start to swim a circle
around the dark spot in the center of the light.
Quick pitch of a little 4 ft net and it was game on after that.

[parkpass]

10ft mullet net will get enough for supper

[phishead]

Apr 27, 2020 16:20:41 GMT -5 parkpass said:

10ft mullet net will get enough for supper

You aint kidding.  They were thick.  My shoulder cant even handle a 6'

[SkyJay]

my neighbor got these last night tossing
a 1/2 a marathon feather sabiki on an ulta lite
rod and 4# test. with a small cigar cork, set 3 ft deep.
sling it out snatch stiop reel snatch stop reel
snatch stop reel
fish the shadow and rim/edge of
the light.
Tiger Lake East of Lake Wales
look close theres some dam slabs in there.

[phishead]

Apr 27, 2020 18:03:18 GMT -5 SkyJay said:

my neighbor got these last night tossing
a 1/2 a marathon feather sabiki on an ulta lite
rod and 4# test. with a small cigar cork, set 3 ft deep.
sling it out snatch stiop reel snatch stop reel
snatch stop reel
fish the shadow and rim/edge of
the light.
Tiger Lake East of Lake Wales
look close theres some dam slabs in there.


Sabiki?  Why not?  

[seabird]

I have caught bluegills on sabiki rigs, think crappie would go for those too.

[phishead]

I think I will carry sabiki in my fw rig bag

[parkpass]

We caught them on squirrel tail hair flies that we made back in the 60s, pulled behind what we called dummy plugs(carved from a block of cedar). Same technique we use for macks

[phishead]

Apr 27, 2020 18:43:19 GMT -5 parkpass said:

We caught them on squirrel tail hair flies that we made back in the 60s, pulled behind what we called dummy plugs(carved from a block of cedar). Same technique we use for macks

Parkpass, who you kidding.  It was 50's.

[parkpass]

Been a long time, what's odd is that technique only worked in lakes, wouldn't work in big river backwater, only way to get them was with Missouri minnows fishing straight down in submerged treetops

[SkyJay]

get the marathons with the white feather

[possumhollerfishing]

Any one ever target crappie on Lake Tarpon? I live 4 houses away from the lake and have been considering targeting crappie. Fished for bass for years but I’ve never caught a crappie.

[phishead]

Don't see why Lake Tarpon wouldn't be great for crappie.

[willdawson84]

Lake tarpon is one of the best shots at catching BIG BIG specks ive seen pics of great catches of fish both on minnows and drifting jigs if those dont work find big grass shrimps get a spot of grass along a wall or bordered by sandy spots an use a small mesh long handle dip net good size shrimp are like half inch mabe 3/4 inch long if those dont get you fish you might better just get a new hobby cause i have not found a fish that would turn down sweet little morsels like that

[phishead]

May 5, 2020 19:30:51 GMT -5 willdawson84 said:

Lake tarpon is one of the best shots at catching BIG BIG specks ive seen pics of great catches of fish both on minnows and drifting jigs if those dont work find big grass shrimps get a spot of grass along a wall or bordered by sandy spots an use a small mesh long handle dip net good size shrimp are like half inch mabe 3/4 inch long if those dont get you fish you might better just get a new hobby cause i have not found a fish that would turn down sweet little morsels like that

Great advise.  Love the dip net idea and grass shrimp. 

[aaronf116]

Are crappie rare around here? I've never once found any while fishing in freshwater from Pasco to Largo.

[phishead]

May 5, 2020 20:47:33 GMT -5 aaronf116 said:

Are crappie rare around here? I've never once found any while fishing in freshwater from Pasco to Largo.

Not really.
Are you targeting them

[jeremiahisbrown]

I've been absolutely killing the crappie since February in my area. All you need is a plain old clip on bobber, about 16-20 inches of line below, and a 1/16 oz jig head baited with the plastic trailer of your choice. Strike King Mr crappie baits, Bobby Garland's baby shad, and plain old Walmart 2 inch curly tail grubs are all you need. And they don't all go deep in the summer and winter either, I catch them in 8ft or less of water year round from the BANK, no depth finder or live minnows required. I've caught plenty slabs this year over a pound and some over 2lbs

[jeremiahisbrown]

Crappie are also the most color selective fish in fresh water, I'm sure of it. I'll jump start you here with the top 5 producing colors for me:

1)Chartreuse glow
2)Black/chartreuse
3)Monkey Milk
4)Chartreuse/white
5)Pink/white

The Bobby Garland's baby shad in monkey milk is an absolute slab Slayer. It's their best selling bait in the best selling color for good reason. Don't leave home without em!
Also, there's a company called southern pro crappie specialists that produce almost nothing but crappie baits for really cheap prices. A pack of 50 crappie grubs only cost me $5 a pack. You could get on their website and browse a little and get most anything you need. I think their 400 piece kit is still under $30

[phishead]

I catch them all the time using a few lures. Most like the ones you use. But this was different. They would not bite no matter what I used. And I used everything I had. My point is. Every time we fish where we see them hunting, it’s a not good. I think when they hunt in a pack like that, they are so zoned in, I don’t think Even a live shad on a hook will work as it will swim differently and spook their concentration. I know I know. It will act injured. But I don’t think they are zoned into the injured. They are feeding just fine chasing the healthy. Just my observation.

[jeremiahisbrown]

May 17, 2020 8:06:48 GMT -5 phishead said:

I catch them all the time using a few lures. Most like the ones you use. But this was different. They would not bite no matter what I used. And I used everything I had. My point is. Every time we fish where we see them hunting, it’s a not good. I think when they hunt in a pack like that, they are so zoned in, I don’t think Even a live shad on a hook will work as it will swim differently and spook their concentration. I know I know. It will act injured. But I don’t think they are zoned into the injured. They are feeding just fine chasing the healthy. Just my observation.

it could also be a matter of size. Sometimes they want a real small bait. I've seen them eating baits only a quarter inch long. Happens a lot especially when they're feeding on tiny young of the year shad and the fry from other fish hatches. Try a little #1 rapala countdown minnow or 1 inch grub and see if they respond.

[SkyJay]

May 17, 2020 15:21:21 GMT -5 jeremiahisbrown said:

May 17, 2020 8:06:48 GMT -5 phishead said:

I catch them all the time using a few lures. Most like the ones you use. But this was different. They would not bite no matter what I used. And I used everything I had. My point is. Every time we fish where we see them hunting, it’s a not good. I think when they hunt in a pack like that, they are so zoned in, I don’t think Even a live shad on a hook will work as it will swim differently and spook their concentration. I know I know. It will act injured. But I don’t think they are zoned into the injured. They are feeding just fine chasing the healthy. Just my observation.

it could also be a matter of size. Sometimes they want a real small bait. I've seen them eating baits only a quarter inch long. Happens a lot especially when they're feeding on tiny young of the year shad and the fry from other fish hatches. Try a little #1 rapala countdown minnow or 1 inch grub and see if they respond.

4-6 pound test gets it done as well

[phishead]

I use 6 lb braid and 8 lb leader.
Today caught a 13” using 4” shiner with 3/0 out hook and 20 lb leader on a float hunting large mouth. Go figure.